Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: The High Peace Council hopes the upcoming meeting in Russia’s capital Moscow, would pave the ground for talks between the government and Taliban, as it is called a meeting organized by Afghans.
“We hope such meetings that are organized by Afghans, facilitate dialogues between government and Taliban,” Sayed Ehsan Taheri, spokesman for the peace council said Sunday.
The Moscow meeting planned to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday by the Afghan refugees in Russia, will host Taliban representatives as well as politicians from Kabul including former president Hamid Karzai.
The government had declined to attend the meeting, saying it could not help the peace process.
The Russian Embassy to Kabul said in a statement that the meeting was an Afghan initiative and Moscow would have no role.
A similar meeting was held in November in Moscow in which representatives from the peace council and Taliban attended.
Taliban Spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said the group would not meet government delegation unless the US pulls its soldiers out of Afghanistan.
Karim Khorram, an aide to former president Karzai said there were hopes that the meeting could open the door for an intra-Afghan dialogue. “There is a lot of hopes for a positive result of the meeting because this is the first ever effort for intra-Afghan talks in which Afghan politicians from different sides are going to attend.”
